Fun Park ready to 'manufacture smiles' as new season gets under way

Rob Stocks

Striding around the Pleasure Beach Nick Thompson is a man on a mission.

All around the park there are flurries of last minute activity – workmen busy making sure everything is in its place for opening day.

Inside one food outlet a gang of workers are busy putting the finishing touches to new displays.

Nick breaks away from the tour to check on progress, to make sure every last detail is right.

“Every morning the first thing I do when I drive in is get out and about the park,” says the deputy managing director, who along with sister Amanda keeps a close watch over what is still very much a family business.

“It’s important to be hands on, to see for yourself.

“People might think we’re managing from an office but we’re not.

“Being on the park, speaking to staff, seeing things for ourselves, it’s very important to me and to Amanda too.

“Its something we’re very proud of, we’re in the business of manufacturing smiles.”

All around the site there are things to check, Nick popping in to a new donut outlet at the base of the Big One to make some last minute suggestions, pausing to chat with two engineers working to bring a barbecue back to life.

These are the finishing touches, the final flourishes to ensure that when the gates open for the first of the half price Wow! weekends there are no glitches.

Nick said: “We have the longest seasonal operation anywhere in the world.

“Orlando, that’s year-round.

“But we don’t really have that much down time.

“As soon as the season ends we have to be on and ready, all the maintenance needs to be done.

“We have a great team and I know everything will be ready, I have every faith.”

Nick admits some jobs, including painting, will have to wait until the weather improves.

But there’s no doubt the Pleasure Beach is ready for the crowds.

Inside the casino building newly recruited staff are going through the last of their training, with seminars and roleplay exercises.

More than 100 workers have already been taken on with a second round of recruitment set to take place before the Pleasure Beach hits top gear for the busy summer season.

Not only are there counter staff, ride operators and food workers, but there’s a new entertainment team in place for Nickelodeon Land.

“We don’t just interview for Team Nick, we audition.”

“They are all round entertainers and we try to make sure we find the best.

“I’m sure there are stars of stage and screen who have started out as Micky Mouse, we believe we can produce the same.”

Nickelodeon Land was a major investment for the Pleasure Beach when it was opened in 2011.

And Nick believes, thanks to the latest trends among youngsters, it is set to pay off this season.

A quick detour into one of the shops reveals hundreds of items of Paw Patrol merchandise.

“It’s the biggest brand for young children at the moment and we’ve got it here,” said Nick.